Bouts / Help Scout vs Tidio
Help Scout vs Tidio
Red cornerHelp Scout
$25 per user a month, billed annually
Blue cornerTidio
$24.17 a month billed annually, or $29 month to month, for 100 billable conversations (Starter)
Help Scout: Help Scout switched to billing by contacts helped in late 2024 and now sells per-user plans again; accounts already on contact-based plans are billed under separate terms.
Tidio wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Help Scout takes desk basics; Tidio takes AI and user verdict; 3 rounds are even.
The judges' card
| Round | Help Scout | What happened | Tidio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | = | At 10 agents with AI on: Help Scout $625, Tidio $583 a month. That is within 10%, so the round is even. | = |
| Round 2Price tags | = | Both offer AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits. Even. | = |
| Round 3AI | Tidio offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems; Help Scout offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Tidio takes the round. | W | |
| Round 4Desk basics | W | Help Scout offers all that plus phone and messaging apps; Tidio offers email plus one more channel. Help Scout takes the round. | |
| Round 5Security | = | Both offer one audit report (SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001). Even. | = |
| Round 6User verdict | On G2: Help Scout 4.4 from 431 reviews, Tidio 4.6 from 1,962 reviews. Tidio takes the round. | W | |
| Rounds won | 1 | Tidio wins, 3 even | 2 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- Help Scout
- $188
- Tidio
- $199
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Tidio wins 2–1.
Mid-size team
- Help Scout
- $625
- Tidio
- $583
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Tidio wins 2–1.
Large team
- Help Scout
- $1,563
- Tidio
- —
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Draw, 2–2.
Monthly bills from USD list prices, annual billing where offered, with the AI agent resolving 20% of conversations and agent assist for every agent. Plans: Help Scout Standard; Tidio Growth + Lyro AI Agent.
Tale of the tape
| Help Scout | Made by | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per conversation |
| $25 per user a month, billed annually | Paid plans from | $24.17 a month billed annually, or $29 month to month, for 100 billable conversations (Starter) |
| Standard | Plan we priced | Growth + Lyro AI Agent |
| $188 | 3 agents, AI on | $199 |
| $625 | 10 agents, AI on | $583 |
| $1,563 | 25 agents, AI on | — |
| $0.75 per resolution | AI agent price | From $39 a month for 50 Lyro conversations ($32.50 billed annually), up to $700 for 1,000 ($583.33 billed annually); Contact for pricing |
| Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social, SMS | Channels | Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social |
| Up to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts a month | Free plan | 50 billable conversations a month, 10 seats and 50 one-time Lyro conversations |
| 15 days | Free trial | 7 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II |
| Hosted on AWS in the USA; no EU hosting is published | Data hosting | Data mainly processed on servers in the EEA; some data is transferred to the US |
| 4.4 (431) | G2 rating | 4.6 (1,962) |
| 4.6 (226) | Capterra rating | 4.7 (590) |
Questions
Which is better, Help Scout or Tidio?
Tidio wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Help Scout takes desk basics; Tidio takes AI and user verdict; 3 rounds are even.
Is Help Scout cheaper than Tidio?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Help Scout comes to $625 a month and Tidio to $583, from list prices. The bill round is even.
Which has the better AI, Help Scout or Tidio?
Tidio offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems; Help Scout offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Tidio takes the round.
